Oklahoma retirement home builds tornado shelter for residents

For residents of ‘Tornado Alley,’ a wide swath of the central United States stretching from Texas to Iowa, springtime brings tornados and the possibility of life threatening winds and property damage.

But one Oklahoma assisted living community isn’t waiting for a major storm to hit before planning for the safety of its residents.

As reported by The Norman Transcript, the community, called Fiddlers Green, has already completed construction on a shelter which can be used for the roughly 70 residents of Fiddlers Green in the event of a tornado.

And although the shelter is above ground, residents told the newspaper they are confident it will offer all the protection they need if a tornado arrives in their area.

“I saw them build it. There is 26,000 pounds of steel reinforcement in it,” resident Maurine Garton told the newspaper. “I’m proud of it. After the landscaping is done, it will be safe and comfortable, and it will be an asset to our community.”

Residents voted to develop the structure in October, 2012, construction began in December, and the facility was completed in mid-February.

Fiddlers Green is located in Norman, Oklahloma, a city of about 150,000, 20 miles south of Oklahoma City.